I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a fruit container and more particularly to a reusable interlocking two-piece fruit box with individual cups that allow for ventilation, serving as a protective package.
II. Discussion of Prior Art
Fruit containers are now commonly used by distributors and retailers of fresh fruit. In the past there have been containers with a protective means to reduce the amount of damage to the fruit. Such containers generally are made from a flat polymer sheet having recesses to individually contain pieces of fruit or other perishables. These containers often have a nesting tray so that two of them can be assembled together to provide both the base and also the cover for an integrated container like assembly such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,444. The disadvantage of these containers is they do not allow ample ventilation.
Other various containers often have a plurality of recesses in the tray members such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,479. The greatest disadvantage of this type of container is that the recesses formed to hold the fruit are in direct contact with more than one piece of fruit. The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing a relatively inexpensive, reusable, sturdy, cupped tray with a brace that keeps the individual cups from contacting other cups when stacked, and a rib that separates the cups within the tray. The present invention also has pillar forming supports that allow for ample ventilation to all of the cups within the formed box.